Chasing Cara
by Tryandfly
Summary: Cara has a mental health issue. Or so she thinks. She's been running for as long as she can remember - well, as much as she can remember. When a kindhearted man stumbles across her and she rambles, she's put into a mental asylum. When others hear about her hysterical shouting about having powers, does she have a chance to escape the past she can't remember? Will they help her?
1. Before the Psychiatric Hospital

**Author's Note: Okay, I know I haven't finished Losing Grace yet, but this idea came to me this morning and won't leave me, so I thought I would write it down while it still makes sense. This is going to be a side project of mine while I write Losing Grace, so expect less frequent updates.**

_Chapter One_

Running.

I've got to keep running. It's all I've ever known because there is nothing else. There is only running, and hiding. Because otherwise they'll find me. I think there were others once, but I don't know. I think they might be dead. But there are still people with me, because I can hear them.

Problem is, others can't.

Run.

Something about... Soulfinders? Comfort. No! They're bad. They made this happen. This is their fault.

Running.

Just have to keep running.

**_Why won't the voices stop?_**

_RUN__**.**_


	2. Meeting Mr Benedict

**Author's Note: So, I wanted to do something for Cara while I brainstormed for Grace. This character's going to be fun, I think, and a lot more relaxed than Grace. ****Oh, it's going to be pretty short, but hopefully you'll get the picture of what's going on, and if you review and let me know what you think I can change the way I write it to make more sense.**

_Chapter Two_

Slumping forward, my head rested on the wall, my arms wrapped in the straight jacket. "There's someone here to see you." The nurse coaxed through the door, and I whimpered, closing my eyes instead. "Be careful, she's prone to different personalities." I heard her whisper quietly, as though I didn't exist, or that I was a fragile mind that would break at the slightest probe.

"I'm sure I'll be fine." A voice replied. Male, I thought, and definitely twenty-seven. The door opened, and I didn't bother looking up from where I sat on the floor. "Cara?" It asked, and I nodded slightly, just wanting to get away from there. "I'm-"

"Uriel Benedict. You're from a small town called Wrickenridge in Colorado, America." Tightening my eyes, I could _feel_ his wonder emanate off him. "You're a long way from home." I added, finally lifting my head to look at the male framed in the doorway.

"How do you know that?" Uriel asked me, coming and kneeling beside me.

"I don't know." Turning my head away from him, I wondered whether I actually deserved to be here. NO! I didn't. I wasn't crazy. I wasn't. I could...do stuff that others couldn't. I was...I could... "Look. You're here to see whether I'm crazy." Stating the obvious, I kept my eyes on the plain white walls. "And I'm not. I'm not crazy, I mean. Whatever they told you, it's not true." It was odd. I could feel that he was concerned, but that he actually _believed_.

"I believe you, Cara." He pulled me into his arms, and I stiffened. I couldn't push him away because of the straight jacket. "I'm going to tell you something very important." The man told me, just as calmly as I was. "You're a Savant. Do you know what one of those is?" Holding me at arms length, he captured my gaze.

"Y-yes." I managed, dropping my eyes to look at his chest.

_Do you know what a soulfinder is?_ The thought popped into my head, and I shook it away - the fireworks that accompanied it were too much. Whimpering from the emotion, I backed away, though his grip on my shoulders hardened. "So it is true." He murmured, and I shook my head.

"Soulfinders - no! They-they're bad." Drawn back into the hug, I sobbed freely. "Why won't the voices stop?" I whispered into his chest, only for him to rub my back comfortingly.

"I can help you." I felt rather than heard the words leave him, and I shook my head again. "I can get you away from here."

"No you can't."

"Yes I can." His words were strong, I had to give him that. "Look, I've got to go now, but I'm going to make some calls and I'll be back." The arms left me, and the door clanged shut with a finality that I hated. The tears came faster, and, tired out, I dropped off to sleep.

I'd lost track of time. I don't know how long I've been here, and it felt like years ago when that man had brought me here. At least the running had stopped, but the voices hadn't. I hadn't seen Uriel the Archangel since he had visited me, and oddly I felt even more lonely than I had been before. But perhaps that was because he had been the only person to visit me since I had been trapped here. Even though I felt lonely, I felt betrayed and let down. He said that he'd get me away from here, but he hadn't. He'd lied. He'd led me on and lied.

"Cara." The voice at the door made me look up from where I'd been laying on the bed. The straight jacket had gone not long after Uriel had left however long ago, and I was as free as I was going to be. "Cara look at me."

Flying at the voice, I hit the body as hard as I could, madness causing me to violence. "You said you'd come back." I hissed, punching up at his face and enjoying the vicious happiness that accompanied the cracking of whatever I had hit. Feeling a sticky wet substance

"She's overreacting!" One of the nurses yelled, and I was pulled away from Uriel, though I struggled as hard as I could to get away from the people holding me so that I could get at the person who _LIED._ _WHO WOULDN'T STOP LYING._ Feeling a sharp jab in the corner of my arm, I went weak, collapsing in the arms of the people restraining me.

"No, don't do that!" Uriel shouted, coming closer, though far too late to prevent anything and, as everything went dark, I felt my flailing arms connect with something.


	3. Confusion, confusion, and more confusion

**Author's Note: Thank you very much to those of you who have reviewed! I wasn't expecting anything tonight, or at any point because it's so out of my comfort zone in regards to mental health. I hope that this enlightens you a little more on Cara's condition, and I really hope she isn't Mary Sue-ish. :S**

_Chapter Three_

"Hang on, sleeping beauty broke your nose?" Semi-conscious, I heard a voice trying to hold its laughter in speak with incredulity. It was, again, male, but younger - probably around twenty or so.

"I'm afraid so." Was that _Uriel_? Who'd broken his nose?

"Hey, she's coming round!" The first voice said, and I felt the bodies pressing in around me. Screwing my eyes shut so I didn't have to see the people who were more likely here to check my mental health, I curled up in protest, hands coming to my head. "Okay, move away, move away! Give her some space!" It was unwillingly that the bodies moved away, and I was very aware of the heat of the two people who remained.

"Cara? Cara honey, open your eyes." The cool voice of Uriel made me open them slowly, and the first thing I saw were the dark eyes of the man who had claimed that he was my soulfinder. I wasn't sure what it was, but it felt like a bad thing. Next, I noticed his slightly wonky nose, and my hand automatically came up to rest on his face.

"Who broke your nose?" I whispered, seeing the confusion slide across his face.

"Don't you remember honey?" At the shake of my head, he stared in disbelief at me. It was at that point that I noticed our surroundings - specifically that we weren't in the sterile white room that I knew. Uncertainly I looked around to see several faces around the edge of the room, and I backed up on the bed until I reached the headboard and couldn't move any further. "Don't worry, they're here to help you." Uriel tried to soothe, only for me to shake my head frantically.

"Where am I? Where have you taken me?" I was panicking, I knew that, but there was no way that I could calm down when I was a **freak** show to these people. When Uriel took my hand in his, I unconsciously lowered my panic levels and turned to look at him. "Archangel, where have you taken me? Why did you take me?" My voice softened, looking directly at him with panicked glances at the faces around us.

"I came back for you." His voice softened just as much as mine, and he took a seat on the edge of the single bed that I occupied. "Don't you remember? I said I would, and I did - when I had the paperwork and influence to get you out of there."

"No..." I managed, casting my mind back to the mental asylum. I shivered, remembering only to cold white room and the various doctors and nurses that were always nice but were far too pitying. "How?"

"My brothers have some sway." A wry smile passed over his face, and I looked away. "Can you really not remember when I came? They had to sedate you because..." His voice faltered. "Because you attacked me."

"Golden boy's got a feisty one." One of the people whispered, and I glanced at them before staring up at the ceiling.

"I want to go home." Tears slid down my cheeks as I spoke, though I didn't know why. Uriel looked at me sympathetically before he spoke.

"Where's home, Cara?"

"I don't know." They fell faster, and heart wrenching sobs wracked through my body. Once again he held me, letting me cry into his shirt, and I was dimly aware that most of the people left.

"What's your last name?"

"I don't know." I whispered again, hating myself for not knowing the answers. "Where am I?" I asked instead, wanting to get away from the subject of me.

"My flat in Durban." He replied, and at my confusion he elaborated. "South Africa - how did you not know that?"

I was sick of saying the same thing. "I don't know."

"Uriel, she needs to rest. Her...mental health reading is really confusing." The voice from earlier said, and I looked at the owner, taking in his curly hair and sarcastic smile.

"Xavier Benedict, the Doctor." I said, just as surprised as they were at my knowledge. I didn't know how I knew it, I just did.

"Studying, actually." Xavier said, looking weirdly at me.

"You also prefer everyone to call you Xav." I added with a yawn, laying back in the bed. Barely noticing the looks that the two shared, I slipped off to an uneasy sleep.

* * *

I woke up some hours later, incredibly confused. Uriel had pulled a chair up beside me at some point, and was in the middle of a nap, snoring. Finding myself looking at him, I finally figured out that I had only seen glimpses of him, and that I hadn't actually taken the time to see what he actually looked like. He was tall and slim, though had a layer of muscle, with dark hair with various highlights in it - I wondered whether that was natural or he had them done professionally. No, they were natural. He wasn't the type of person to go to a salon.

Slipping of the bed and heading to the closest mirror - which was on the door of the wardrobe - wondering what exactly I looked like. It had been a long time since I had the chance to see myself, and I didn't know how much I had changed. The walk wasn't exactly that long, it was a small room after all, and I hesitated before I stepped in front of it. I held my breath before I opened my eyes (I had closed them on instinct), and had to blink several times before I actually saw myself. Long dark hair that was in a complete mess, small stature swamped by the over sized male t-shirt someone had changed me into, and a face that had definitely seen better days since it was pretty gaunt. _Hispanic._ The word slipped into my head, and when I looked again, it fitted my description perfectly. "Who are you?" I whispered to my reflection, bringing my hand up to rest on the reflective glass.

Jumping when a hand touched my waist, I turned, only to meet the eyes of Uriel. "You're going to love my mom." He told me seriously, a glint in his eye, and I finally placed where his accent was from. America. "She's Hispanic too, and she's going to find it absolutely amazing that you are. My dad will be protective at first since I haven't actually told him that we're soulfinders. And my brothers? You've met Xav, you just have to meet the rest of them. Sky's particularly worried, she says that your colours are all wrong."

"Sky?" I asked quizzically. He said he had brothers, but not any sisters.

"My youngest sibling's soulfinder." He explained, and I nodded, unsure of the family thing.

"When do I meet them?" I whispered, not wanting to have to look at their sympathetic faces.

"When you've finished getting dressed. They flew over yesterday." Uriel admitted, and I shook my head. "What's wrong?" A crease mark appeared above his eyes, and he was evidently confused.

"I'm not going to meet them in this!" I told him, gesturing to the dark button up shirt that I was in. At least it made a change from the sterile white I had to wear at the - No. I would not think about that place. I was out of there, and hopefully I was never going back.

He chuckled, a sound that I wanted to hear more and more, before he spoke, "Sky's offered to let you borrow some clothes from her." Opening the door with the mirror on it, I saw a small selection that I could choose from. "Shower's across the hall." Adding that, Uriel sidled out of the room, waving goodbye. "I'll see you in the kitchen - it's at the end of the hall."

Left alone, and shocked by how ready he was, I wondered how often he brought home crazy girls. Checking the wardrobe, I felt physically sick at the sight of the white stuff, and pushed that away before looking at the rest of the stuff in there. Sky, whoever she was, was pretty small and around my size, but just looking at a few of the things made me realise that there was still someone taller than me. Sighing, I pulled out the sky blue - ha - tank top and a pair of dark jeans, not bothering to pick up shoes or socks, before padding across softly to the bathroom. Glancing around fearfully before I went in, I hurried in and shut and locked the door, feeling safe.

I won't lie, the shower was bliss. It wasn't like I hadn't had showers at, ah, that place, but this one was particularly nice because it was freedom. Fifteen minutes later, I finished getting dressed in the clothes that I had borrowed and brushing my hair, looking at myself in the mirror. It made me feel sick, looking at my reflection like that, and I cast my eyes down so I didn't have to look at my tortured face. Uriel was really unlucky to have me as a soulfinder. _Soulfinders are bad._ The thought came from nowhere, and an uneasiness settled over me. There was no way I could be his soulfinder. There wasn't. I mean, he must have it wrong, right?

A soft knocking on the door made me jump and hold out the hairbrush in defence, but voice that filtered through was kind and gentle. Uriel. "Hey, Xav's wondering whether you drowned." He joked, and relief pounded through my veins at the fact that he felt like he could joke around me.

"I'm just coming." I called out, before glancing at my reflection and placing the hairbrush down neatly on the side. I would apologise to whoever's stuff I borrowed as soon as I found out who it all belonged to. Unlocking the door, I walked straight into Uriel's chest. "I'm s-sorry." I stuttered, flicking my gaze up to him before looking away.

"It's fine." He spoke gently, as if I was some frightened rabbit that would dart away at the slightest noise. "Ready?" Nodding, unsure, I slipped my small hand into his, hoping that he'd protect me from the rest of his family if it got too much. Uriel reassured all the way down the corridor, but the carpet felt like it was stretching on and on, that it would never end, that we would be destined to walk down here forever. Surprisingly, I was okay with that, but eventually it was over, and we were standing in the door, looking in at the bustling room. Captivated, I saw how a family of twelve made breakfast - for it was that time. There were four women/girls in the room, not including the bundle of energy that just had to be Uriel's mother, who were chiding their male partners. (it was obvious that they had done something wrong). There were seven men in the room - six were obviously Uriel's siblings and the older man was definitely his father.

Beginning to shrink away from the scene in front of me, Uriel cleared his throat, capturing the whole family's attention. "Ma, dad, this is my soulfinder, Cara." I watched the curious expressions settle on all of their faces, and I hid behind Uriel, only his hand keeping me from fleeing back down the corridor and into the comfort of the bathroom, a place I could lock.

**A/N: So, what do you think? Do you want to know more about Cara and her condition? This is definitely my longest chapter, but I figured that this was the perfect place to stop it for the moment. And only four soulfinders, not including Karla? Who do you think is missing? And why do you think that? Let me know what you think in a review ;)**


	4. Breakfast always turns to disaster

**Author's Note: So I loved reading your replies for the last chapter - and thank you very much for them! I can't tell you how much I loved writing this chapter and the one before. I recently had another idea that I'm working on, a third Benedict brother one, which will be published soon. Enjoy!**

_Chapter Four_

"That's wonderful, son." The father said, a warm smile taking over the place of the curiosity. He enveloped me in a hug, though I stood there stiffly and awkwardly, hoping that he would stop soon. "Cara's a pretty name."

_Who are these people? _I whispered to Uriel, transmitting the thought into his mind. He had the decency to look pretty embarrassed before he let go of my hand and moved it to the small of my back.

"Sorry, where are my manners?" Uriel rubbed my back in small circles, soothing me and stopping me from bolting. "Cara, this is my family - my six brothers, four of their soulfinders, and my parents. This is my older brother Trace and his partner, Diamond." The pair he mentioned was a quite tall, hairy, man, and an Egyptian looking woman. They smiled, and I hesitantly returned it. "My younger brother Victor, no soulfinder yet. Over there is Will." The two men were both looking pretty rough, though the seemingly younger brother (Will) had an incredibly unhappy expression_, _though Uriel pretended to ignore it. "Xav, he's the healer, and Crystal. She helped me find you." Crystal flashed a smile at me, and, confused, I noticed the family resemblance to one of the other soulfinders. "Yeah, she's Diamond's sister." The sisters shared a glance, before Uriel continued speaking. "Phoenix and Yves." A Clark Kent looking guy with a brunette. "And my youngest brother, Zed, and Sky's the one who lent you those clothes."

Overwhelmed with names, I was unaware of the fact that Uriel hadn't introduced his parents. The mother hurried over to me, a ball of energy, and I noticed that Uriel was right - she was Hispanic as well. "I'm Karla, and this is my husband Saul." She said, pulling me into a hug that I really didn't want to be a part of. "Right, my little men, and women, breakfast!" Karla clapped her hands and they returned to what they had done before we had come into the room. "Uriel, can you get the drinks?" She asked, in the middle of directing everyone.

Unsure of what I should do, I hovered in the doorway, really wanting to flee. "Why don't you come over here with us?" One of the girls asked, I think it was Sky, but I couldn't be sure. Nodding slowly, I hesitated before I came in though the one who had spoken bounced to her feet and led me over to them. I slid on the back bench, realising that they had all moved up to the end to make space for everyone.

"Learning names is the hardest part of being part of the family." Diamond told me quietly, a small smile on her face. Relieved, I nodded, though kept quiet.

"You get used to the bustle." The brunette offered me.

"I've got a question." I offered, and the four of them nodded. "Does everyone have their soulfinder?" Even though I wasn't exactly sure of what I was asking (or what I was), I wanted to know whether the family had the chance to find their other halves.

They fell quiet, and it was Crystal who answered. At least, I think it was Crystal. "I'm a Soulseeker." At my confused face, she went on to explain. "I follow the connections between soulfinders to find them." She paused, before speaking quietly. "The chance to find Victor's soulfinder hasn't come up yet, and Will..."

"Couldn't you find her?"

"She did." Phoenix took over, meeting my gaze. "We found Grace in Amsterdam, and again in Wrickenridge. There were...complications." She admitted, and I looked away, not wanting to know more about what had happened. Was she dead? How awful would that be for Will... And here we all were, dangling our partnerships in front of him. I felt sick to my stomach.

"I..." I managed, then stopped and looked at the table instead of at the other girls. The hustle and bustle of the kitchen concealed the silence that we fell into, but it wasn't long before breakfast was served. The men were laughing and joking, and I felt myself ease into the situation, relaxing unlike I had done for a long time. Scooting along the bench until I was by Uriel's side, I felt his deep chuckle before he tucked me under his arm. Feeling safe, at least for the moment, I peeked out from my little protective cocoon at the rest of the family.

* * *

They were one unit, and I felt left out, just a tad. I spent the rest of breakfast barely eating anything, instead trying to soak in just not having to be in the awful place that I had been in. I'd only been out of there for a day or so, and I felt incredibly nervous. Once everything on the plates had been eaten and then tidied away, I found myself in the living room, nestled once again by Uriel's side. Taking in the room - Uriel had obviously taken into account his large family, as there was just enough room for everyone if people doubled up - I once again tried to remember names. That was Sky and Zed sharing an armchair, and Phoenix and Yves were sitting on the floor near them with a pack of cards. Crystal and Xav shared the small sofa with Will, and Victor looked lonely (but wary) in the chair that he had brought in from the kitchen. Uriel and I shared the larger sofa with Trace and Diamond, and Saul and Karla.

"What's your power?" Victor asked, leaning forwards towards me.

Overwhelmed by the sudden question, I felt all eyes return to me. Searching within me, I tried to find it. "I-I don't know." I spoke tearfully, which, in turn, made Uriel press me closer to him, soothe me, and kiss me on the top of my head. It turned awkward, and I tried as hard as I could to just _remember_. "I...I...I can't remember." I managed to whisper, dropping my gaze to my hands in my lap. As if sensing my need for comfort, Uriel slipped his free hand into one of mine, gently squeezing it.

"Do you want to remember?" He asked me, and I looked up at him with only shock on my face. He had the decency to look pretty embarrassed, and it was because of him that I forgot that we were in a room fit to burst with Benedicts. "I mean, I can read the past." At my hesitant nod, the room was suddenly full of movement and eventually I was sitting in Uriel's lap in a circle with the rest of the family. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Phoenix, Sky, Diamond and Crystal on the sofa that I had just vacated, and I saw Yves flick his wrist and the candles that I hadn't notice before light. "Our family works as a unit. We find criminals and we bring them to justice. For example, Trace can, well, trace where objects have been recently. I read the past, whereas Victor can persuade victims to tell the truth. Will and dad sense danger, Xav heals, Yves explodes things, and Zed ties it all together." He explained quietly in my ear while the others settled down, letting me digest the news.

Clearing my throat, I asked him, "Will everyone see it?" Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes again, and Uriel beat me to wiping them away. I was ashamed. Ashamed of a past that I couldn't remember. Ashamed of a gift that I couldn't remember. I felt broken. I was insane - that was why I had been put in that place. This was just me making something up to pass the time, right? I was going to wake up in a few minutes, and I'd be back in the sterile room again.

"This is real." My soulfinder told me, seemingly sensing my anguish. Damn he was perspective. "And no, only me and Zed, and we won't tell anyone if you don't want us to." His voice soothed, and I heard Sky giggle in the corner. When people looked at her quizzically, she explained,

"Sorry, that's eerily similar to what you said when you helped me." Quieting, she drew back into the sofa cushions, allowing us to get on with what we were about to do.

I was nervous, there was no doubt about that. "Relax. Just open the doors for me." Uriel whispered to me, and I relaxed into him, closing my eyes.

"Don't think badly of me, Angel." I whispered into the room, before feeling his arms tighten around me.

"I couldn't do that, baby." Feeling secure in the darkness of my mind, I gently felt someone brush my hand.

"The asylum's blocking me. I don't know where she's from, because she was there a while." The deep voice of Trace told the room, and I squeezed my eyes shut even more.

"She's in a lot of danger. I'm not sure how imminent it is though." That was Saul, and the agreeing voice must have been that of Will, the other danger seeker. Internally giggling at that, I shook my head.

"Yves and I aren't very useful for this." Victor, it seemed, was being brutally honest, and before I could dwell on that, Xav's voice sliced through my thoughts.

"I can't tell whether she's mentally stable or not." He was the healer, of course. So I was insane. So I was making this up. They should have just left me in that place so that I couldn't hurt anyone.

"She's...Going to make it out of South Africa. I just don't know when." Could Zed tell the future? At least that sounded promising, I guessed.

"Are you ready for this?" The quiet voice behind me said, and he must have seen me nod because suddenly I wasn't alone in my head anymore.

I could see Uriel in my mind's eye. I slipped my hand into his (mentally), and let myself be taken to one of the doors in my mind. It was heavily locked, with a padlock and three separate locks. _You can do this._ His voice providing me with the confidence I needed, I found the keys that we needed, and it was with a shaky hand that I unlocked them. Hesitating before I opened the door, I whispered into his mind.

_I'm scared._

_I'm here. _He was soothing - when was he not?- and I turned the handle and stepped through into a fog of black. Seeing shapes, and me, and blurs, I felt the beginnings of a headache begin to overtake me. This wasn't normal, this couldn't be right, this was a mess. I was mad, I was! There was nothing discernible. It was a confusing mess, and the me's were beginning to crowd around me, pushing and shoving and yelling endless abuse. One of them was scared. I - she - kept telling me to run, to keep going and to never stop, that I could never trust anyone, that they would always let me down in the end. Another spoke of death and told me that I was poison, that I was going to be the death of the one person that I loved more than anything else. I couldn't lose Uriel - but no! I'd let go of his hand, he'd gone and left me here. Why did he have to make me open this door? It was going to kill me!

_**"URIEL!"** _I sobbed. Faintly I heard other voices, telling me to come back, but the darkness overcame me and I went under.


	5. Aaanndd score one for the bad guys

**Author's Note: Been a while since I updated Cara! This chapter's been giving me trouble, I'll be the first to admit it. In order for it to work, I had to do it from a slightly different perspective (but this one is my preferred way of writing, if I'm honest). I'd just like to give a shout out to TheArtCrazed, and that it is nowhere near as good as Miss Stirling's books, but thank you very much for the compliment! Besides, there are so many that are better than this lil' ol' thing. ^_^ This is going to be a lot shorter than the other chapters, merely because I couldn't extend it in any way - it had to end the way it did. Sorry about that. ^^" I really hope you understand it, if not let me know and I'll reword it for you.**

**Oh, and I thought I'd let you know what Cara's theme tune is since it is appropriate for this chapter - Demons, by Imagine Dragon. Take a listen, maybe read the lyrics, and let me know what you think.**

_Chapter Five_

"She's coming round." A voice said, and the sigh of relief that spread throughout the room was audible. She sat up, meeting every eye in the room, staring and not blinking.

"What's wrong with her eyes?" One of the girls whispered, and it was true - her eyes had glazed over and were almost black. A lot darker than their normal brown colour, a colour that would be pretty warm if not for the unfortunate issue of the Asylum, which had broken her spirit.

"Uriel Benedict." The voice that came from Cara's body had a resonance that had not been there before, and a strength in the unwavering tone of her voice.

"Cara? What's wrong? What's happened?" Uriel was desperate, unsure of what to do. He came close to the sofa on which she had been lain, though when 'Cara' held up her hand, he stopped his movements. The rest of the family, however, moved backwards, and kept their distance - all but the healer of the family, Xav. He ignored the hand stopping them from coming closer, and it was when he stopped and started yelling that Crystal rushed to his side, swearing profusely.

"Stop." The command issued from Cara, a deadpan voice that did not belong to her.

"Please, you're hurting him!" Crystal sobbed, shaking her other half, trying to get him to snap out of whatever it was that was happening to him. "CARA!" She cried, hugging him, determined to not leave his side.

When she finally clenched her hand, Xav fell forward, caught by Crystal, gasping for air. Shooting angry glances as Cara, Crystal moved backwards, sitting Xav down in the single armchair. "I need your help." The resonant voice asked, Cara's body looking around the room with its vacant expression.

"Why would we help you?" Phoenix spat from her position by Yves, having to be restrained, though it looked like Yves was having a problem keeping a lid on his anger.

"Because Cara needs you." The voice replied, though that caused a lot of head shaking in the room.

"**You** are Cara." A deep voice said, and her head snapped to where it had came from. It was Victor, naturally, protecting his family.

"You should have left her in the asylum." Will muttered, only to receive a punch from Uriel.

"That's my soulfinder you're talking about." Uriel hissed, rising to his feet, ready to hurt his younger brother. "Just because yours left you." He added vehemently, only for Will to whiten and jump to his feet, hands clenched.

"Uriel, Will." Getting in between them, Diamond exercised her power over them, and pushed them away from each other slightly. "Cara needs us." She added, mainly to Uriel. Trace bundled the younger of the pair away, speaking in a low voice, while Diamond dealt with the wound up Uriel.

"Finally Golden Boy snaps." Xav joked, though he was still as pale as a sheet. "Go on." He added towards Cara, ignoring the murderous glance that Uriel had sent his way.

The small Hispanic stared blankly ahead of herself, not bothering to keep up the pretense that she could see everyone. "Cara's in trouble. He is searching for Her, and He won't stop. He wants to ruin Her, because She is all that remains from His past."

"Who? Who is he?" Victor, ever the FBI agent, asked coolly, though he was ignored.

"I have tried to protect Her as much as I can."

"How? How have you tried to protect her?" Uriel asked, bottling his anger up.

"Divided Mind." Was the reply, though she continued before they could ask what she meant. "At the moment of trouble, Her mind realised the circumstances, and split the more vulnerable part from the protective part. The vulnerable part it is put forward, until She is great need or feels great anguish."

The room feel silent, until Saul dared ask a question. "And you? You are this so called protective side?"

"I am one of many. I am Alethea, the speaker of truth."

"Are you a deity?" Sky asked, crossing her arms.

"No, Cara has a split conscience." Xav spoke from his place of rest, looking straight at 'Alethea'. "That's right, isn't it? Her mental condition is unstable, and it's manifested in different personalities."

"That is what I said." 'Alethea' acknowledged what he said with a dip of her head.

"And I take it that the illusion you put me under is Cara's power?" He continued, earning himself a wolf whistle from Zed.

"You sure you're the genius, Yves?" Zed muttered to his brother, earning himself a nudge in the ribs.

"No. That power is temporary, until the danger has passed." His question was dismissed without a second thought.

"Then what is it?" Uriel asked, impatient. It was only then that 'Alethea' hesitated, unsure of what to say.

"Death sense." She said at last.

"Can we have her back now?" Desperation colouring his voice, Uriel ran his hand through his hair. At the single nod from Cara's body, you could visibly see him exhale with relief.

"Wait, what's the danger?" Victor asked, leaping forward to see whether he could wrestle any more truth from this part of Cara's conscience. But he was too late, and Cara's body slumped forward into Uriel's waiting arms.


End file.
